"Easiest schedule and the refs favoring" - NBA fans refuse to buy Golden State Warriors stock amid hot stretch with Jimmy Butler

Some NBA fans are refusing to acknowledge the Golden State Warriors as NBA championship contenders despite the streak they are on since Jimmy Butler's arrival. The Warriors improved to 14-1 with Butler on the lineup after beating the New York Knicks 97-94 on Saturday night at the Chase Center.

Steph Curry poured in 28 points as Golden State beat the Knicks in a hard-fought contest. Moses Moody continued to justify his new role as a starter, while Butler only scored 11 points. Draymond Green put the game away with a tough layup with 25.1 seconds remaining.

Golden State extended their winning streak to seven games and are 14-2 since Butler was acquired from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. The only loss the Warriors suffered with the star forward in the lineup was against the Dallas Mavericks. They also lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, but Butler was rested in that game.

The Golden State Warriors improved to 39-28, sitting sixth in the Western Conference standings. While the Warriors fanbase is confident of the team's chances in the playoffs, some rival fans are not buying into what's happening in the Bay Area.

"They've had the easiest schedule and the refs favoring them every call," a fan tweeted.

"4 legit victories: Rockets, Knicks(2), Pistons," one fan claimed.

"They haven’t beaten any contenders over that span," another fan remarked.

The Golden State Warriors do have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NBA, but it's not their fault. The Warriors can only play what's in front of them and are doing their jobs by beating these subpar teams.

"Very weak schedule. Would like to see them play OKC, Denver or Minnesota," a fan wrote.

"When do they play a real game?" one fan asked.

"There’s only 3 true contenders. Celtics, Cavs, Thunder… but they could definitely make it to the WCF," another fan commented.

While it's hard to see how far the Warriors will go in the playoffs, they have a proven winner in Steph Curry. Jimmy Butler is a different animal in the playoffs, while Draymond Green is still a menace on defense.

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Steve Kerr makes history in Golden State Warriors win

Steve Kerr makes history in Golden State Warriors win. (Photo: IMAGN)

With the Golden State Warriors' 97-94 win over the New York Knicks, Steve Kerr officially became the winningest coach in franchise history. Kerr has now 558 regular-season victories for Golden State, passing the great Al Attles, who had three stints in charge of the Warriors.

Kerr joined Golden State in 2014, winning a championship as a rookie coach. He added three more titles in 2017, 2018 and 2022.